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Three pitchers, two spots, one tough choice: who could still make the Red Sox’ rotation?

The Red Sox’ starting pitching herd thinned Sunday when Josh Winckowski headed back to the bullpen, leaving three pitchers left to compete for two roster spots.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Winckowski’s status change, noting that the decision is the first of many ahead of Opening Day on March 28 in Seattle.

Now, just three pitchers remain in contention to open the season as starters: Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, and Cooper Criswell.

All three players have made splashy starts during spring training, showing off their offseason improvements. However, without a guaranteed addition of a sixth man, one of these pitchers will likely follow Winckowski to the bullpen before the end of the month.